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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29559375">aequilibrium</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orbweeb/pseuds/orbweeb'>orbweeb</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dreamcatcher (Korea Band), LOONA (Korea Band), Many others but with minor importance, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Acceptance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Best Friends, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Developing Relationship, Discrimination, Doom, Established Relationship, F/F, Falling In Love, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, I promise it all ends well though, Implied Relationships, Loona centered, Love, Love Confessions, Past Abuse, Past Violence, Plus all of the other characters, Pre-Relationship, Self-Acceptance, Way too many characters why did I do this to myself</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:27:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,403</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29559375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orbweeb/pseuds/orbweeb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where some people are born with special abilities, there is only one common ground that unites everyone: you are either hunted or a hunter. This wicked balance has ruled the world since the dawn of time, but what will happen if a group of girls tries changing their unfair destiny?</p><p>Or</p><p>Loona has superpowers and needs to find a way to save the world without accidentally causing it to blow up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Yerim | Choerry/Im Yeojin, Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin, Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Other minor or implied relationships, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. ACT 1: Life and Death</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4>
  <div class="center">Two forces to rule over the body, bound by love</div>
</h4>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Prelude: This year's birthday present</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A boy receives an unexpected birthday present.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Major disclaimer! English is not my first language so I may make some mistakes or write sentences that sound incorrect, so if that happens please forgive me but also please be kind as I’m trying my best. I’d actually be really grateful if any of you native speakers (if there are any of you reading this lol) would like to point out my mistakes or ways I could improve so that I can improve my writing for the next chapters!<br/>The main part of the story is focused on Loona, but there are going to be many more idols (groups and soloists), so don’t worry if you don’t know Loona that well and/or were looking for something related to another group. Some groups (like Twice and EXO) already had lore or an mv that portrayed them having superpowers so I tried to stick to that, for other groups I used my imagination or I came up with what was most useful for the story itself. Apart from that, I’m not going to stick to group lores and theories because it would just get too complicated (I’m already using a program to check the timeline I’m making up because it gets more complicated every time I try to think about it and it’s exhausting). Also, I’d like to add that obviously, this is all fiction, and the relationships and personalities of the characters are all made up by me as I personally do not know any of these people. The ages may also vary to better fit with the storyline.<br/>Oh boy did I make these disclaimers long… Anyways if you have any other doubts or questions feel free to ask in the comments! I’d love to receive your feedback so don’t be shy! Thanks for reading all this mess anyway ^.^</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4>
  <div class="center">XX.XX.XXXX</div>
</h4><p><i>Knock knock</i>.</p><p>The boy put the book down on his desk and stood up.</p><p>-	Coming! – he spoke loudly so that the person on the other side could hear.</p><p>He glanced at the cage resting under his window and smiled softly at the sight of a black and white rabbit sleeping soundly. He looked up and took in the view of the garden, set alight by the colors of a fast-approaching sunset. The boy couldn’t help but think that the view would have been so much better without the iron bars of the window polluting the landscape.</p><p>He opened the door and stepped out, joining the two girls that had come to call him.</p><p>-	Good evening, – said one of them – and happy birthday.</p><p>They walked together and reached the huge dining room downstairs. Inside, the table had already been set up and decorated with countless flowers and colored candles. Eleven people, all dressed elegantly, were standing in front of their seats. As soon as he set foot in the room, their heads turned towards him, showing nothing but bright smiles.</p><p>-	Happy birthday! – they chanted together.</p><p>He smiled politely and reached his seat, next to one of the heads of the table. There stood a man who welcomed him with a raised glass. The boy mimicked his action and reached for his glass, which had already been filled. The rest of the table, that now counted fourteen people, raised their glasses as well.</p><p>-	To Order! – the man pronounced.</p><p>-	To Order! – the rest repeated, taking a sip of their drinks.</p><p>-	Before we begin our feast, – the man continued, now looking directly at the boy – let me just say how immensely proud we all are of your hard work. You’re slowly becoming a man, not just in age, but in maturity and self-control. <i>Bravo</i>!</p><p>The table sent gestures and cheers of agreement, only to be stopped by a raise of the man’s hand.</p><p>-	It has become a tradition for us all to gather in celebrating your birthday, as a reward for your efforts and as a reminder for the rest of us of your importance in maintaining the balance of our world. So, we really hope you enjoy tonight’s little party.</p><p>At these last words, the boy bowed his head as a sign of gratitude.</p><p>-	As for this year’s birthday present, you may have to wait a little longer than usual. However, it is something I’m sure you’ll appreciate. – the man exchanged a glance with the rest of the table.</p><p>There was a brief pause in the man’s speech, and something in the boy’s mind told him that it wasn’t a good sign.</p><p>-	We have sensed the exponential rise of a powerful essence in the city.</p><p>The boy’s heart clenched in his chest.</p><p>-	We believe in just a matter of days Chaos will experience its awakening.</p><p>The hand that was holding his glass started trembling so much he had to put it down.</p><p><i>It can’t be happening</i>, he thought, <i>not so soon</i>.</p><p>-	Once it awakens, – the man’s hand reached the boy’s cheek, stroking it lightly – we’re finally going to reunite you with your sister.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sus</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Like in Harry Potter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On a fateful Friday morning, Heejin finds herself in a couple of very unpleasant situations. Luckily, she bumps into a helpful stranger.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4>
  <div class="center">16.09.2022</div>
</h4><p>Second term had only just begun and yet Heejin already felt as something had sucked all the life away from her body.</p><p>Actually, first term had passed by quite smoothly, but her post-exams need to rest had remained unsatisfied when she decided to start studying the materials for her next classes instead of, well, resting for a little bit.</p><p>Not a day passed by that she didn’t question her life choices, specifically the one she made when she decided to study economics. Was she even interested in that stuff anyway? She had always been a brilliant student and could ace every subject if she put her mind to it, but there was always something off. In a couple of years she would have gotten her bachelor’s degree, then moved on to her master, then found a steady and remunerative job and <i>then</i> she would have been settled for life. At least, that’s what everybody told her.</p><p>Actually, Heejin wasn’t sure of any of it. Not that she didn’t trust her abilities to reach that goal, but she just couldn’t picture herself in that sort of lifestyle. Her parents worked in a well-known company and made a satisfactory amount of money, so she always thought a life like theirs wouldn’t be bad at all. But did she really want it or was it just a reflex, her need for stability that pushed her to seek a life so similar to the one she already had?</p><p>Heejin was haunted by these thoughts every day. Perhaps this was the reason why, while she was walking home from her Friday morning class, she didn’t see a car approaching fast as she was crossing the road.</p><p>When the girl finally perceived the noise of the engine and turned her head, the car was only a few meters away from her. As she hadn’t noticed it, the driver hadn’t noticed her as well. Her legs stopped; her eyes widened: the car was too close. She was going to die.</p><p>For a second, she locked eyes with the person behind the steering wheel. A man, probably in his forties. Maybe he was coming back home too, maybe he had waited all morning to the moment he could finally grab a bite with his wife and children. His eyes were wide and terrorized like hers. He had probably realized in the spun of a moment what was going to happen, what he was about to do.</p><p>He was going to hit Heejin. She was going to die.</p><p>At least, that was what they both thought in the last instants before the explosion.</p><p><i>Boom</i>.</p><p>The car blew up in front of her own eyes. Pieces of metal flew through the air and the heat and noise of the explosion engulfed her. When some moments had passed and all that was left around her was dark smoke, she was able to think again. That’s when she noticed it: she was unharmed.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>---</p>
</div><p>The police officers that had gathered around the site of the accident had dismissed her and told her to go home. The doctors had confirmed that she was okay and the eyewitnesses had all agreed on the same version of the story: the car had exploded on its own, for an engine problem of some sort, and Heejin just happened to be there crossing the street.</p><p>But, as she had resumed her walk home, she just couldn’t put her mind to what had happened. She saw the explosion, the pieces of metal flying around. She felt the heat. She thought she was going to die. Yet, there she was, walking home healthy as ever as nothing had happened. How was that even possible?</p><p>However, the worst part of it all was seeing the carbonized body of the man being carried in a bag all the way to the ambulance. <i>Why did they put him in the ambulance anyway?</i>, she asked herself, <i>He was already dead</i>.</p><p>A man had died before her eyes. It was not a sight nor a thought she could have let go so easily. She was actually pretty sure it would have haunted her forever. Why him and not her?</p><p>As her mind was preoccupied, she didn’t notice she had actually passed the door of her house around a block ago. So, since her parents were still not home, she decided that she needed some fresh air and headed to the nearby park. She still felt her legs sore and her mind numb, she was emotionally drained and confused, but it sure beat staying home alone with her thoughts.</p><p>As she was strolling around the park trying to make sense of the events that had led to that moment, she noticed something. A person was walking right behind her.</p><p>At first, she thought it was a coincidence (parks are for walking after all), but it had been several minutes and some turns and the person was still following her. When she tried to pick up her pace, the other mimicked her. When she turned around to catch a glimpse of their face, they kept going forward faster and faster.</p><p>Heejin was terrified, mainly because she knew from the TV how these stories ended, partly because she couldn’t even make out the person’s face. It was covered by a big hood and… was it a cloak? She didn’t have time to judge their outfit, so she made a quick turn to exit the park and head home, where hopefully she would have been safer.</p><p>She couldn’t have been more mistaken, as when she arrived in front of her house, she noticed another hooded figure waiting for her. Given her limited choices, she then decided to turn left and head to the city center. Hopefully, she could find a busy street and blend in with the crowd.</p><p>So she did. She was in one of the busiest streets of the city on a Friday, people were all around her and there were moments when she could barely walk on the sidewalk. Still, no matter how many turns she made, whenever she turned around she could always spot the two hooded figures following close behind.</p><p>She then opted for her last resort: running. She knew she couldn’t run fast, given how much her muscles were aching after dealing with that morning’s tension, but she hoped she could at least run fast enough to lose them. Or at least she hoped the adrenaline would kick in and give her extra help.</p><p>Trying to take them by surprise once again, she took a quick turn and entered an even busier road. She turned her head to see if her chasers were still following, but while she was turned around her body hit something, <i>someone</i>, coming from the other way. Her legs failed her.</p><p>– Oh my god I’m so sorry, – said the stranger, a girl with long black hair and sharp eyes. She held out a hand to help her get back on her feet – are you okay?</p><p>Heejin didn’t answer. She was panting too hard and her mind couldn’t really focus on anything else other than the dangerous situation she had found herself in. She was ready to start running again when she noticed the other girl’s eyes widen and her head lift up, as she had just heard something.</p><p>– You’re being followed, aren’t you?</p><p>Heejin nodded. She had no time to ask her how she had figured it out.</p><p>– Stay close to me.</p><p>The girl took her hand with a solid grip and led her in the direction Heejin was previously running to. Soon enough she turned right to a quite dark and deserted alley. It was a dead-end.</p><p><i>That’s it</i>, Heejin thought, <i>I’m gonna die. She brought me here to kill me herself</i>.</p><p>The stranger pulled her to the end of the alley and led her behind a dumpster. They crouched down and Heejin felt an arm pulling her closer. <i>What the fuck?</i></p><p>She would have continued thinking this girl was a psycho if she didn’t see the two hooded figures running past the alley moments later. Did she finally make it?</p><p>– The situation should be under control for a while, but it’s better for you to hide.</p><p>The girl retracted her arm and stood up, signaling Heejin to follow her once again. Still clueless as to why she wasn’t running away from her as well, Heejin found herself in front of an iron door right next to the dumpster they had hidden behind.</p><p>– This is the back door of a bar. – the stranger informed her – It’s safe for people like us, I promise.</p><p>– People… like us?</p><p>Heejin resisted the temptation to ask the girl if she was taking her to a gay bar and instead decided to silently watch as she knocked on the door in a strange pattern.</p><p>– Like in Harry Potter. – she absentmindedly commented, earning a chuckle from the dark-haired stranger. The girl soon tried to regain her posture (<i>Is she trying to look mysterious or something?</i>), but Heejin had already caught a glimpse of her smile.</p><p>Ignoring the still relevant possibility of the stranger being a psychopath, Heejin had to admit that she had a really beautiful smile.</p><p>In just a matter of seconds, the door opened. Behind it stood a young man with a puzzled expression.</p><p>– Ah, Hyunjin! – he exclaimed, shifting his gaze from the two girls – Back already?</p><p>– My friend here was having some stalking problems.</p><p>The man nodded understandingly and moved aside so they could enter.</p><p>– They’re still at the counter. – he informed Hyunjin (<i>At least now the weird stranger has a name</i>, thought Heejin).</p><p>– Thanks, Hyojong!</p><p>Hyunjin took Heejin’s hand once again to lead her down a narrow hallway and then through another door. Behind the door was a perfectly normal bar, with some tables, some seats, and a rather cheap-looking aesthetic. However, one thing that peaked Heejin’s attention was the darkness of the place. The lights were dim, and all the windows were covered by wooden planks and curtains. What kind of place was that?</p><p>As if she was reading her mind, Hyunjin turned to her and smiled.</p><p>– Welcome to the Hideaway.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>---</p>
</div><p>In the darkness of his room, a boy was trying to rest.</p><p>He knew they were out there looking for her. <i>Hunting</i>.</p><p>He couldn’t sleep at all last night and was trying to find some comfort during the day, but to no avail.</p><p>He stood up and opened his curtains, letting the sun engulf him and color his room.</p><p>Looking at the blue sky, a prayer formed in his mind and left his mouth.</p><p>– Please, someone save her. – he whispered – Save Heejin.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Are they... you know...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I didn't know you were smart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Heejin hopes that her terrible day is nothing more than a dream she'll soon forget about.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4>
  <div class="center">16.09.2022</div>
</h4><p>The bar was almost deserted, apart from two girls approximately their age and a bartender minding her own business on the phone.</p><p>It was only when they reached the counter that Heejin noticed that the stranger (<i>Hyunjin</i>) was still holding her hand. She figured it only made sense then that the two girls that were sitting there, sipping on their drinks, had looked at them with such an entertained expression.</p><p>– I thought I sent you out to get cigarettes, – said one, with shoulder-length hair and a charming expression – how come you came back with a date instead?</p><p>Hyunjin quickly let go of her hand and looked away, embarrassed.</p><p>– Shut up, Sooyoung!</p><p>– Hi, Haseul here! – the other girl, with dark brown hair in a bob haircut (and a much less menacing look), smiled at Heejin and greeted her – Did something happen?</p><p>– She was being followed, so I figured I could bring her here. Have you seen Soyeon?</p><p>– She’s working in the laboratory. Wait… don’t you have a device?</p><p>It took Heejin some moments to realize the bob-cut lady was talking to her.</p><p>– A what?</p><p>– You know, the one we use to hide our Essence! – she continued, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world – It helps a lot in this kind of situation.</p><p>– I… don’t know what you’re talking about.</p><p>– Aren’t you an Enhanced too?</p><p>The girl stood silent. Of course, she knew who the Enhanced were, everybody did, but she never talked to one in real life. She just knew that Enhanced people were born with special abilities and that most people feared them. She once saw a video of one of them actually <i>breathe</i> fire against innocent people on a sidewalk. It was terrifying.</p><p>– No, of course not! – she blurted out.</p><p>She realized late enough that she may had sounded a bit too aggressive when one of the girls before her (<i>Sooyoung, was it?</i>) mouthed an “ouch” before going back to take a sip from her glass.</p><p>– What’s your name? – Hyunjin spoke up, probably to ease the awkward silence that was building up.</p><p>– Heejin.</p><p>– Heejin, I heard those men talking before we ran here. One of them said he was “sensing your Essence”. Do you know what that means?</p><p>The girl froze in her place and shook her head. Her day was just getting crazier and crazier each moment passed; she was starting to believe it was all a dream.</p><p>– Enhanced people have an “Essence”, – Haseul explained – it’s a sort of “force” that lives inside us and gives us our power. Usually, we can’t sense other people’s essences, but ironically enough that <i>can</i> be a power some people develop thanks to their own essences.</p><p>– You were running away from them, – Hyunjin added – but no matter what you did you just couldn’t lose them, right? Kind of like they were following a lead, am I making sense?</p><p>– How… how do you know? Also, how the hell did you hear what those people said?</p><p>– I’m a cat-shapeshifter, it reflects on my human senses as well. They were practically screaming, I just had to make out the sound between the voices of the other people passing by.</p><p>- You're a what?</p><p>– The point is, – Sooyoung chimed in – this proves that you actually <i>have</i> an Essence.</p><p>– I’m sorry but that’s not possible. – Heejin answered, her voice shaking – I never had special powers. Nothing like that has ever happened to me, I… Oh, <i>shit</i>.</p><p>The three other girls exchanged a confused glance as Heejin had to grab a stool to sit down. Her legs were failing her for the second time that day, her mind was getting numb.</p><p>– Something happened this morning.</p><p>Trying her best to steady her breath and to find the right words, the poor girl explained all that had happened to her prior to that moment. When she had finished, Haseul sympathetically put a hand on her shoulder. <i>Why are they being so nice to me?</i>, Heejin asked herself.</p><p>– It makes sense. – Sooyoung said, sighing – You see, Essences don’t always work the same. Sometimes they activate as soon as you’re born, other times they stay hidden until they are triggered. It can also happen that they never “wake up”, but those are very rare occasions. Usually, they get triggered in dangerous situations as a part of your fight or flight response. That’s surely what happened to you.</p><p>– I didn’t know you were smart. – Hyunjin commented, earning a smack on her arm from the other girl.</p><p>– So… – Heejin tried to speak up, out of breath – if this were true, what would my power be?</p><p>– Only one way to find out… Minnie?</p><p>The bartender, that might had as well eavesdropped on Heejin’s entire crisis, raised her head.</p><p>– Yeah, Hyun?</p><p>– Can we go bother Soyeon?</p><p>Minnie, a good-looking girl with long dark hair, nodded kindly and moved to stand in front of a shelf full of liquor bottles. She moved a Jack Daniel’s bottle to the side and revealed a petite keypad inserted in the wall. Covering it with one of her hands, she quickly tapped something (presumably a password) on it. Heejin heard a bip coming from the wall and then witnessed one of the stools beside her sink to the ground. It revealed a hidden staircase leading from where once was the stool to an iron door, illuminated by the faint light of a lightbulb hanging right above it.</p><p><i>Okay</i>, she only managed to think, <i>this is definitely not real. I am only dreaming. In a little while, I’ll wake up in my bedroom and hopefully forget all about this wicked dream and go on with my life</i>.</p><p>Hyunjin walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Heejin had her eyes wide open and was still trying to get herself to wake up.</p><p>– I know this all seems crazy, – Hyunjin said, noticing her distress – but we just want to help. Soyeon can help you understand your situation a little more.</p><p>She pointed at the iron door downstairs. Haseul and Sooyoung were already waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase. Heejin stood up and started walking towards… what exactly? Her future? Another dangerous situation? She didn’t know.</p><p>If this was all a dream, nothing she had heard and seen that day would have mattered at all.</p><p>If this was not a dream, she had to seriously start dealing with the amount of overwhelming information she had received, and she didn’t know whether she was ready or not.</p><p>But she figured it all started with opening that door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm writing short chapters for now so I'll be able to update more often, but it's likely that some chapters will be longer in the future.<br/>Also, please do feel free to comment with whatever type of feedback you may have, I'd love to hear your opinions!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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